Lever handle detent and release



J1me 1950 c. E. DEARDORFF ETAL 2,512,312

LEVER HANbLE DETENT AND RELEASE Filed April 5, 1948 INVENTORS I ALVIN A. MEDDOCK CLINTON E. DEARDORFF AND ' ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED rLEMERHANDI-QE iDETENfI AND RELEASE "Clinton iD'earilorff, San 'Fernandp, and .Alvin :A. Me'ddo'ck, Northl-lollywood, cans, assighors t'o Bendix Aviation Gorporation, South Bend, ind a corporation of Delaware "Application April 5, 1948, l'Se1"ial3No.I8888' This invention relates to manual actuating mechanisms for manipulating control valves. in :hydraulic systems, particularly slide valves that are intended to 'be releasablyl'ocked in-oneposiition of operation.

.-An objectof the invention is to provide .asimple and ;.eilective actuating mechanism whereby .a hydraulic slide valve canbe moved into .any .one of a plurality of positions, and'locked or unlocked, with only one hand.

This object is achieved in accordance with theinvention by providing an actuating lever that is fulcrumed in a slot so that the lever has limited longitudinal movement, in addition to swinging movement through an arc, providing a latching member on the lever that is movable therewith longitudinally into and out of engagement with a fixed latching member when the lever is in a predetermined position in its arc of movement, and providing a spring means for urging the lever longitudinally to interengage the latch members.

A full understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a mechanism in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken in the plane IIIIII of Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a hydraulic valve l comprising a casing II and a reciprocable valve rod I2 extending from one end of the casing. The valve is actuated by reciprocating the rod into various longitudinal positions. Valves of this general type are well known, and the internal construction of the valve is of no interest. Suflioe it to state that the rod I2 may be manually moved into a plurality of longitudinal positions for creating certain desired conditions of fluid flow, and that it has, in addition, one position in which it may be desirable to lock it while the operator leaves the valve to perform other operations. In the particular valve illustrated in Fig. 2 this position in which the rod I2 is to be locked is its innermost or leftmost position.

The actuating mechanism in accordance with the present invention comprises a lever I3 which is pivotally connected to the valve rod I2 by a first pin I4 and is fulcrumed on a second pin I5.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lever I3 may be formed from a single strip of metal folded upon itself over a portion of its length so as to form a bifurcate element straddling the valve rod I2. The two parts I3a and I3!) of the bifurl Claim. (Cl; 7%53'2) "date element is are provided with' longitud'inal "slots "I i-17, and the 'valve rod "I 2 is provided with a j cylindrical -'-'aperture 1 8' "for receiving the first-pin I4. Ityv'ill "be observed that-this construction prevents any vertical -movement oi the pin I 4 withresp ect to the valve 'rod 'I-2Tbutrper- 'inits longitudinal movement or the -l'e"v'er It! with respect to the pin. The bi'furc'at'e portions 13a and ine are provided near their lower ends with cylindrical-apertures 20 'for the ""se'co'n'ci pin L 5, so that the latter is constrained to move with the lever. The second pin I5 is supported by a fulcrum arm 22 having a slot 23 therein for receiving the pin I5.

The pins I4 and I5 extend substantially beyond the bifurcate elements I3a and I3b 0f the lever, and the ends of the pin M are connected to the ends of the pin I5 by a pair of helicaltension springs 24 and 25 respectviely. These springs exert a constant force on the lever I3 urging it upward to the limit of the slots ll therein, which engage the pin M.

The valve rod I2 may be reciprocated through a definite range by simply swinging the lever I3 throughan arc of movement about the second in I5 while the latter is held in the upper end of the slot 23 by the springs 24 and 25, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The valve rod I 2 can be moved into its extreme inner (leftmost) position by urging the lever I3 longitudinally (downwardly) to the extent of movement permitted by the slots IT, to carry a latch pin 2! in the lever below a shou1der-28a of a stationary latch member 2d and then rocking the lever I 3 to the limit of its movement, which carries the latch pin 2'! against a shoulder 28b on the stationary latch member 28. If

the operator so desires, he can lock the lever in this last mentioned position by releasing it, which permits the springs 24 and 25 to shift the lever longitudinally and carry the latch pin 21 into a notch 280 in the stationary latch member 28. Obviously, the rod l2 can be moved out of its innermost position by depressing the lever l3 to carry the latch pin 21 out of the notch 28c and clear of the shoulder 28a on the stationary latch member and then rocking the lever clockwise.

The fulcrum member 22 and the latch member 28 may be formed integrally with a pair of plates 30 which are bolted to the valve casing I l as by cap screws 3i. Each of the integral elements 32, consisting of a plate 30, and arms 22 d may be bent from a single piece of flat metal.

Although for the purpose of explaining the in-- vention, a particular embodiment thereof has been shown and described, obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art, and we do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described.

We claim:

An actuating mechanism for manual manipulation of a linearly movable element into difierent positions comprising: a control lever vpositioned approximately atjright angles to said element to be manipulated; means coupling an intermediate portion of said lever to said element for pivotal movement with respect thereto, and for limited linear movement longitudinally of the lever; a stationary support and means coupling a portion of said lever longitudinally displaced therealong from said first coupling means to said stationary support for swing movement thereabout, and for limited linear movement longitudinally of the lever; a latch member on said lever longitudinally displaced from said coupling means; a stationary latch member engageable with said lever latch member when the lever is in one end of its swinging movement and in one limit of its longitudinal movement, and spring means urging said lever longitudinally into said one limit of its longitudinal movement; whereby said lever can be locked in said one end of its swingin movement by moving it longitudinally against the force of said spring means into its other limit of longitudinal movement, swinging it into said one end of its swinging movement, and permitting said spring to restore it into its said one limit of longitudinal movement.

CLINTON E. DEARDORFF.

ALVIN A. MEDDOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Mallory May 28 ,1940 

